Today’s news surprised us all. Microsoft decided to change some things over at the UK and Denmark department, resulting in the cancellation of Fable: Legends and Project Knoxville. If this wasn’t bad enough already, Microsoft is considering closing down Lionhead Studios for good. But what does that mean for Microsoft gamers? Will we never see another Fable game ever again?!
What’s going on?
Before we start off this Pause for Thought, it might be interesting to know what’s going on. Microsoft released the following notice out of nowhere today:
After much consideration we have decided to cease development on Fable Legends, and are in discussions with employees about the proposed closure of Lionhead Studios in the UK. Additionally, we will close Press Play Studios in Denmark, and sunset development on Project Knoxville.
So does that mean that Lionhead will close it doors? Not necessarily but it’s something that we must consider, giving the cancellation of the upcoming Fable: Legends. If Lionhead Studios is forced to shut down, we’ll miss out on some of the franchises that made PC and Xbox big back in the days, let’s take a look.
Fable
When you say Lionhead, you say Fable. The studio was responsible for one of the biggest fantasy adventures on Xbox and Xbox 360. The Fable franchise is something special for a lot of gamers. It offers the same kind of exploration you can find in other games on other platforms, like Zelda for example, but does it slightly different. The virtual world of Albion is one of the best worlds we’ve encountered in this type of games; never being able to visit it again seems harsh. But what made Fable such a successful franchise? A combination of things really.
The first Fable game was very ambitious and wasn’t able to truly deliver everything that was promised but it still remained a very enjoyable game. Fable II and III proved the true potential and strength of the franchise however. Fable isn’t just an adventure game like Zelda, it’s a game where you have to make important decision in the life of your character. Will you stay good or become evil? Will you marry only one woman? Will you have kids? Will you take good care of your dog? The game is filled with emotional and social decisions that it’s easy to forget you’re just playing a game.
The mainline Fable games offered a lot of fun and variety for those who played it. A lot of gamers were asking for a true sequel of Fable III but got spin-offs like Fable: Journey and Fable: Heroes instead. Both spin-offs never reached the same quality as the main games and it was clear Lionhead was looking for new ways to introduce players to the Fable franchise. Fable: Legends was supposed to combine a new strategy with the core appeal of the franchise but we’ll never see it again.
Fable: Legends, lost forever
We’ve got the chance to play Fable: Legends back during the GamesCom days and truly believed that Lionhead might have gold in its hands. Legends would have done things differently. As a free-to-play game where you would need to work together with your friends, each controlling another character with a specific skill. The best part about the game was the idea of giving one player all the power he ever dreamed of. One player controlled the enemies and obstacles, with one sole purpose, stopping the heroes from reaching the end.
The Black & White franchise
It’s sad we’ll never see Fable: Legends but if Microsoft decides to take down Lionhead Studios for good, we’ll lose more than just Fable, Black & White will never return. But what is Black & White? A lot of gamers won’t be familiar with the franchise since it’s a little older but Black & White was a pioneer in the God simulators. You control a tribe and are forced to make the biggest and most powerful settlement to survive. Most fun are the huge creatures that can help you out or destroy your settlement. Black & White had a lot of fans and a deserved sequel (Black & White 2) but sadly never returned.
A lot of fans are still waiting for a new Black & White game but without Lionhead Studios, it seems impossible to achieve, another reason why the studio has to keep making those great games.
A world without Lionhead Studios?
It’s not official just yet but it looks like there’s the huge possibility Microsoft will close Lionhead Studios for good, how will a world without them look like? Less colorful and innovating if you ask us. Games like Fable and Black & White both managed to innovate a genre and create something special while doing it. Sure, the games weren’t perfect and there was still room for improvements but still, the Lionhead games were something nobody else brought to the table. We truly hope a world without Lionhead Studios won’t happen and that Microsoft can sort out the problems but only time can tell. Today, the future doesn’t look that bright…
